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Companies Plan To Announce Hundreds Of Century Jobs
September 3, 2010
A group of new industries are planned for Century that could mean up to 500 jobs, breathing life back into the old Alger-Sullivan Lumber complex that has sat idle for a number of years.
Century Lumber and Land, LLC plans to join Railmark Holdings and Milton Timber to announce a total of five ventures slated for Century.
The companies will, over a course of time, be in the business of:
- treating railroad crossties
- dry kiln treating domestic lumber for the building industry
- building and selling lumber kilns
- repairing freight railcars, railroad track and maintenance
- processing and marketing Paulownia trees as biomass fuel and wood products
“Century Lumber and Land is definitely moving to Century, company Manager Jim Craft told a group of business and industry leaders at a Thursday board meeting of the Century Chamber of Commerce. “We are as anxious to get started as y’all are for us to get started.”
An official announcement is expected within a few weeks.
“I’m optimistically looking forward to the announcement,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said. “If it happens we will be celebrating.” He said his office and the Century Chamber had worked for seven years to bring a company to the Alger-Sullivan site.
Craft said Century Lumber and Land’s unique crosstie treating method uses an environmentally friendly chemical. The company will also use dry kiln treat domestic lumber and sell their own line of kilns.
Railmark, a Michigan company, will establish a location of its established track construction and maintenance company in Century to serve the Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi markets. The company will use a portion of the Century property to perform both shop work and mobile repairs railcars.
Milton Timber will market biomass fuel — essential a charcoal type product — made from Paulownia trees. The Paulownia tree is rapidly growing species, gaining about 17 feet per year, that can be harvest every five years.
Craft said the operations would employ 300 to 500 people with a 36-42 month period, with about 200 of those employed by Railmark.
The 38 acre property was last sold in early 2006 to DMT Holdings, LLC in Navarre, according to the Escambia County Property Appraiser’s online records. The facility includes five buildings totaling just over 300,000 square feet, according to the property appraiser. The buildings on the property range in age from 11 to 54 years,with the largest 160,150 square foot building constructed in 1972.
Pictured top: Darrell Kelsoe of Milton Timber explains the Paulownia tree during a Century Chamber of Commerce meeting Thursday. Pictured inset: Jim Craft of Century Lumber and Land, LLC. Pictured below: The former Alger-Sullivan Lumberyard in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
21 Responses to “Companies Plan To Announce Hundreds Of Century Jobs”
LOOKS TO ME THAT THE FOLKS IN CENTURY NEED WORK. I HAVE VISITED THIS AREA A NUMBER OF TIMES OVER THE LAST 4-5 YRS. IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF A COUPLE OF TREE HUGGERS GET INVOLVED AND HURT THE CHANCES FOR THESE PEOPLE TO GET A JOB AND GET OFF THE TAX ROWS.
WAKE UP THEY NEED HELP!!!
If you want to see how fast they grow,drive down Pine Barren road near the Christian Home church,on the east side of the road there is a long drive way that is planted with them. They were planted this summer and are already 10 or 12 feet tall. This rate of growth and their prolific seeding ability, is kind of scary.
If it comes, will it stay or will it be another fly by night operation. we have heard this so many times about this piece of property but nothing ever happens. i certainly won’t hold my breath. I guess it doesn’t hurt to dream. Dream on Mayor
If you look around you will see that several people have Paulownia (Empress) trees in their yards. I know several people that have them, and a couple of places that they are apparently growing wild.
REGARDING:
“what’s wrong with the popcorn tree”
It might not make good charcoal. We’ll let them use whatever they wish. I assume they already have a source of trees in mind.
If they did want popcorn trees, I could spare a few hundred. If they leave a single root, it’ll be back next year.
David blessed with popcorn trees
and chestnuts–which I set out
and pears–which I set out
and pines–which planted themselves
great news, if it’s true. tend to be skeptical till it happens. finding 500 drug free employees in century is a dream. the same doped up, government funded freeloaders will be there. here’s hoping.
Paulownia trees??? If you want a fast growing weed tree that’s pretty in the fall, and spring, and gives good shade, what’s wrong with the popcorn tree?? They’re already plentiful around here….
it will probably be like bay minette…the car company….”were working on it”
Now hiring pirates, Yarrr!
kudzu’s wunnerful: full of vitamins, legume so it raises the nitrogen level, good ground cover, fights erosion. People ought to build some sort of trellis over their houses so the kudzu shades out the sunlight No telling how much you’d save on cooling costs.
Unlike this stuff, nothing shades out kudzu, though, because it climbs whatever’s there. Frost kills it but the hay it makes is find animal feed.
Genetic engineers need to design a cross between kudzu and peanuts or –better yet–watermelon!!!
Glad to hear of this. But why wasn’t all board members and council members invited. This sounds like something the town should be together on. Teamwoork is how it’s done. Let’s not aggravate the existing leaders of the town. Our town needs this badly.
David…. Sounds sort of like kudzu to me. Didn’t that plant start out as being eco-friendly?
Thanks, Randy, from your link I read:
” It is tolerant of pollution and it is not fussy about soil type. For this reason it functions ecologically as a pioneer plant. Its nitrogen-rich leaves provide good fodder and its roots prevent soil erosion. Eventually, Paulownia is succeeded by taller trees that shade it. It cannot thrive in the shade of other trees.
“The soft, lightweight seeds were commonly used as a packing material by Chinese porcelain exporters in the 19th century, before the development of polystyrene packaging. Packing cases would often leak or burst open in transit and scatter the seeds along rail tracks. This, together with seeds released by specimens deliberately planted for ornament, has allowed the species to become an invasive weed tree. . . ”
So, it’s invasive but doesn’t take over. Pretty plant too, looks like some I have seen but not known what they were.
David for beauty
Wake me up when they have the grand opening…..yawn. Sorry, but we’ve heard this many times before.
In reference to the comments below about applying for jobs — You will probably have to wait until the businesses official announce. Workforce Escarosa will probably be the application point; however, don’t try to apply yet. They won’t be able to help you. We will keep you updated here on NorthEscambia.com
great!! Where do I apply?
If this is really going to happen – when and where can someone apply? like for office/accounting jobs?????
Can you find 500 drug free employees in Century ?
The Paulownia Tree is a form of invasive species. It is orginally from Southeast Asia. It is a broadleaf, flowering deciduous tree.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia_tomentosa
I am very glad to see new industry coming to the Northwest Florida area, but am concerned with the use of the Paulownia Tree for biomass, when native tree species, pulpwood pine and pine slash can all be used for this same purpose.
Way to go Century!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where are Paulownia trees grown? With its fast growth rate, it sounds like its some type of invasive species.